The Quintessential Human Delusion
by Ravenna03
Summary: Neo's in a Coma. The prophecy is a lie. They've lost the Neb. Have they lost all hope as well? Complete
1. Trinity

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Title: The Quintessential Human Delusion

By: Ravenna

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Summary: Neo's in a coma. The prophecy is a lie. They've lost the Neb. Have they lost all hope as well? 

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Category: Drama

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Rating: PG-13

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Spoilers: This takes place shortly after the end of Reloaded, so if you haven't seen it… Bah. What am I thinking? Who hasn't seen it? Also, while I haven't played Enter the Matrix, I read Alina's transcript to get the gist and have incorporated bits of the end of that here as well. With the exception of a snippet of conversation between Maggie and Trinity from a behind the scenes take, there's nothing from Revolutions that you can't get from the trailers (because it's not out yet). 

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A/N: I wrote this to keep my mind occupied while waiting for Revs to come out. It explores how Trinity and Morpheus might be coping after Reloaded and will end before they go to see the Oracle. HUGE thanks to Ovo from The Hardline (www.constructfic.org) for being my beta!

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Disclaimer: As much as I wish they did, these characters do not belong to me. 

Enjoy…

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The Quintessential Human Delusion

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Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion - simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. ~~ The Architect

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TRINITY

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You look relaxed, she tells him silently, finding a touch of much needed comfort in that observation. _More than I've seen you in some time._

Her eyelids heavy with worry and fatigue, she moves her gaze from his face to his chest, watching as it rises and falls with a soothing regularity. If there wasn't so much going on inside her heart and head, she's certain that the steady rhythm of his breathing would have lulled her to sleep long ago. 

Unlike his seemingly easy breaths however, her own have a measure of pain to them. In addition to the faint, generalized soreness that her recent foray into the Matrix has left her with, the heavy, clenching ache that seized her chest as she watched Neo collapse has yet to leave her. 

In the instant she saw him fall, she feared she lost him forever. Sitting here in the Hammer's infirmary, she still isn't sure that's not the case.

The tears would come if she'd let them. Yet even now, with her own death and resurrection and the loss of the Nebuchadnezzar still fresh in her memory, they remain locked away deep inside. Even now, with Neo in this state, with the destruction of Zion an all but absolute certainty, she refuses that particular release. Allowing the tears to reach her eyes would likely lead to an uncontrollable deluge and, with most everything else out of her control right now, she is neither willing nor capable of enduring that experience as well. Instead, she sits dry-eyed, holding his hand lightly in her own, wanting so much to believe that he can somehow sense he is not alone. 

"Can you feel this?" she asks in a voice just above a whisper, gently squeezing his hand. _Do you even know I'm here, Neo?_

Out of the corner of her eye, she swears she detects the tiniest of movements near his lips. It wasn't even enough to be considered a twitch, but it was something. Wasn't it? 

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You do know, don't you?

She squeezes his hand again, straining her already tired eyes as she searches his face for a reaction. 

"Come on, wake up," she quietly commands. _Come back from wherever you are. Open those beautiful brown eyes and come back._

"Please." 

But she sees no movement. She gets no response. 

Her pale blue eyes land on the thin wires that are now an unnatural part of his visage. Tracing them to the nearby monitor, she scrutinizes the data, looking for changes. But she sees none.

She closes her eyes, struck with the understanding that whatever she thought she saw was never really there. It was simply a lie told by her weary mind. It shouldn't surprise her, really. Though it has only been a short time, she feels like she has been sitting here forever. 

Sitting. 

Watching. 

Waiting. 

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Why? For what?

Opening her eyes, she studies the contours of his face, exploring lines and curves she committed to memory long ago. 

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What am I waiting for, Neo? For you to wake? For the answers to come? For this life - our life - to end?

As he has countless other times she's watched him sleep, he looks innocent and vulnerable to her. Perhaps that is one of the reasons she has not been able to bring herself to leave him - because by being here, she can at least be sure he is safe. Even now she cannot stop herself from needing to protect him.

She shifts her gaze to the table nearby. Though her thoughts and attention have been focused on Neo, she has not forgotten about the unconscious man resting mere inches away from him.

She only half-heard Maggie's explanation about how they found Bane - this man she knows only vaguely as a member of Ballard's crew, this man who went out of his way to wish Neo luck before he went to the Oracle - but she heard enough that her instincts have warned her that something about him isn't right. 

Looking at him now, she can't help but think of Cypher and the resulting images in her head spark her already simmering anger to boil up and mix with her despair and worry. The combination courses through her until her hold on Neo's hand tightens to a degree that if conscious, he would undoubtedly cry out in pain. Once aware of it, she forces her hand to relax and tries to shove the emotion down. But even using methods she learned from Morpheus and Ghost long ago, it takes her an unusually long few minutes to rein it all in. 

Her eyes drift back to Neo and she runs her thumb over his hand as if to soothe away whatever pain her vise-like grip could have caused him. Then, taking a deep breath, she tries to refocus her thoughts.

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I wish I could understand what's happening, Neo, she says, continuing her silent, one-sided conversation._ I wish…_

She shakes her head. So much has happened in the last forty-eight hours. She has been spending part of these long, quiet minutes attempting to make sense of it all, but there are pieces missing. Pieces she knows only Neo can provide.

While remaining understandably uncertain about exactly how to fulfill his role as the One, Neo has at least come to accept that it is indeed his role to fulfill. He has even been openly excited about it at times, sharing Morpheus' enthusiasm every time he discovered a new skill. But, while he hasn't complained, she knows that the responsibility and burden that being the One entails has quietly been taking its toll on him. 

Sometimes she has wondered if it is just her imagination. After all, Morpheus has been spending countless hours with Neo and if he noticed anything beyond Neo's apparent eagerness, he hasn't said anything to her. She, on the other hand, has noticed subtle changes that have troubled her and there have been moments she has found herself wanting nothing more than to take the pressure away from him.

It seems to have begun with his last trip to the Oracle. 

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No, she corrects herself, _It started long before that, didn't it, Neo? The problems sleeping, the dreams, the tension... _

As far as she can tell, he has been able to keep his disquiet from the others, but his façade has appeared to falter when he thought no one was looking. And, whether he knew it or not, she was _always_ looking, always aware. 

She couldn't help it if she wanted to. It's like an instinctive need that began developing during the hours she spent watching him before his unplugging, a need that has only grown since admitting to herself - and to him - that she loves him.

She had asked him what was bothering him on more than on occasion, but he hadn't been ready to share, and she respected him too much to force the issue. They are similar in that way and she knew he would share it with her when he was ready. 

It wasn't until those quiet moments after making love in Zion, when the fear and anxiety in his eyes had been so deep it made her hurt for him, that he finally gave her an uncensored glimpse of it. And she's sure now that what she saw then was only the tip of the iceberg. 

The weight from what he was carrying with him only seemed to intensify after he saw the Oracle. She noticed it almost immediately after removing the data spike from his plug. He quickly told them about Smith and then, knowing Morpheus was eager to hear what the Oracle had to say, immediately launched into an explanation about the Keymaker. 

But there had been more, she is certain of it. It was as though the man who essentially bore the weight of the world on his narrow shoulders had suddenly begun to show faint signs of being crushed beneath it. And it worried her more than she admitted to herself at the time. 

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What was it, Neo? What did she say that worried you so much? She takes a moment to consider it further. _Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was rooted more in your battle with Smith._

Not Smith, she reminds herself. **_Smiths_**.

She frowns. While still unable to comprehend the how's and why's of that particular development, her gut tells her it wasn't his encounter with Smith that affected Neo so deeply. 

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No. It may not have helped, but that wasn't **it**, was it?

Yet before she had the chance to speak with him alone about it, they were jacking into the Matrix, embarking on their quest to find the Keymaker. Then, almost immediately after completing that mission, the crews of the Vigilant and the Logos had joined them, ready to offer their lives to help Neo reach the Source. 

She stood next to Neo then, listening intently as the Keymaker revealed what needed to be done, feeling as confident and as full of hope as Morpheus.

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How I wish I could feel that now, Neo.

It was only after that gathering, in the all too brief moments between planning the mission and jacking back into the Matrix, that there had been a brief lull in the action. Once the details had been finalized, Neo had immediately gone off alone. She sensed he needed the time to himself and willingly gave it to him, but as midnight grew closer, the need to be near him intensified. When she finally entered their cramped and sparse quarters, she was greeted by a man she could only describe as tortured. 

It was then that she sat down next to him and, her heart reaching out to his, quietly let him know he was not alone. 

It was then that he asked her to stay behind.

The soldier in her rebelled the instant she heard him utter the words, but she recognized the look in his eyes as he silently pleaded with her to agree. It was the same look she saw in them that night in Zion, when he almost desperately declared that he couldn't lose her. And so her decision was made. If it would somehow take that fear and anxiety away, she could not deny him. 

It wasn't until she was jacked in, looking into his eyes for what she thought would be the final time, that she truly understood: In his dreams, Neo had foreseen her death in the Matrix. 

She raises his hand to her face and leans her cheek against his palm. 

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But that still wasn't everything was it, Neo? That wasn't the only thing worrying you.

At first, part of her thought it was that premonition that had been the problem the whole time. Now she recognizes that perhaps it wasn't completely responsible. Because of him, she jacked out of the Matrix alive. Yet in the moments following their exit, his underlying apprehension remained and if anything, had intensified. 

There hadn't been a chance to fully process that particular realization, as time proved once again that it was not her ally. 

One moment, they were listening to his declaration that the prophecy was a lie, the next… The next, the sentinels came. Then the Neb was gone. And finally, Neo collapsed. 

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What happened when you went through that portal, Neo? What happened when you reached the Source? she wonders. Those questions lead to another. _Did you even make it that far?_

She closes her eyes. Is it possible he had sensed what was happening to her and turned back before he made it to the Source? She doesn't know. She just doesn't know.

Who told you the prophecy is a lie? She releases a sigh of frustration. _And why have we been led to believe in a prophecy that was never meant to be fulfilled?_

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I have so many questions, Neo. Questions, but no answers.

But there had been no time for questions or answers.

There had been no time to revel in the fact that he had just done for her what she had once done for him. 

There had been no time…

Forcing her heavy eyelids open, she gazes at his face again, a face just as beautiful in its quiet vulnerability as it is in its fierce determination. She stays like that for some time, painfully aware of the ache in her chest as she matches each of his breaths with one of her own, until finally, another set of questions finds its way into her heart.

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What else have you seen in your dreams, Neo? Did you see this coming? Did you see the end?

Gently kissing the back of his hand, she lowers it back to his side without breaking her hold on it. Her gaze rests on this simple union between them, allowing her to once again see how perfectly they fit together. 

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Together.

She presses her lips into a tight line. Together, they had hoped to end the war. Together, they had hoped for a better future.

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What of hope now, Neo? she wonders bitterly, the ache in her chest flaring. _What hope do we have when the prophecy is a lie? What hope do we have of winning much less surviving? For the love of Zion, how could we have been so naïve to believe..._

"Stop it, Trinity," she whispers harshly to herself. But the emotions don't cease churning at her command. Instead, they seem to magnify - which, in turn, fuels her frustration.

She shakes her head, detesting these feelings of helplessness and uncertainty. She almost feels… 

"Lost." The word escapes over her lips in a faint whisper. 

A distantly familiar feeling, it is one she thought she was rid of long ago. She felt it before Morpheus unplugged her, before he took her under his wing and taught her about the real world. She felt it before she accepted this life. She felt it before she became a soldier in this war - one with direction and purpose. 

But now… 

Now a quarter of a million machines are closing in on Zion, bent on annihilating it. And there is nothing she can do to stop them.

Now the prophecy of the One appears to be nothing more than another method of manipulation.

Now the man she loves lies before her, trapped in a place she isn't sure how to retrieve him from. 

Her heart heavy, her back and body aching, she raises her eyes to the ceiling. 

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What do I do now?


	2. Ghost

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All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope. ~~Alexander Dumas

GHOST

He steps through the open door of the Hammer's infirmary and his dark eyes fall on the back of the woman hunched on a stool in the middle of the room. He frowns as it immediately strikes him how unlike her that is. The Trinity he knows and loves doesn't normally 'hunch.' She sits strong and proud, at times even defiantly so. This vision only serves as a reminder of the grim situation they have found themselves in.

Spotting a thin blanket on a nearby table, he picks it up and moves over to her. As he drapes it lightly over her narrow shoulders, he allows his hands to rest on them for a brief moment. To his surprise, she doesn't move. It's as though she isn't even aware of the added weight.

"Trinity," he says softly. 

At that, Trinity turns her head toward him, but her eyes do not meet his. 

"Ghost." 

Though her voice is flat, he knows her well enough to tell she is surprised. She was not expecting to see him. She probably didn't even know the Hammer had found the Logos, much less that it needed to be found in the first place.

"We just came on board," he says quietly.

Nodding absently, Trinity shifts her focus back to the man in front of her.

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The man she loves, he thinks with a pang of disappointment. Still, he bears no ill will toward him. How can he? Not only has Neo brought her the love and happiness she has long deserved, but he also just saved her life. For those two things alone, he can only be grateful to the man. 

"How is he?" he asks after a long moment.

"No change."

Sensing her walls are firmly in place, he knows better than to force her into conversation right now. Instead, he patiently waits for a sign she is ready to talk and switches his attention to the form lying on the table near Neo.

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Bane.

He isn't sure what to make of that situation. He knows Roland suspects Bane might have had something to do with the EMP being triggered prematurely, that he might have intentionally crippled the counterattack, but he knows the man well and finds that theory difficult to believe. 

Difficult, but not impossible. 

This war does unexpected things to people, shaping them in ways they aren't even aware of until some event occurs to bring those effects to light. Sometimes, the results are a pleasant surprise. Most times, they are not. 

"You know about the Neb?" he hears her finally ask, her tone dull, her eyes still on Neo.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Trinity," he says softly, though he knows the well-meaning words will do nothing to assuage what she must be feeling right now. 

Silence permeates the air, broken only by the steady beeping of the monitors nearby. Waiting for her to speak again, he revisits the events of the last few hours.

The Logos has just been through its own little adventure, though not one as ill-fated as the Nebuchadnezzar's. After doing their part to get Neo to the Source by destroying the power station, he and Niobe had exited the Matrix expecting to see results. Instead, they were greeted by Sparks' declaration that something had gone wrong and that everyone had vanished. 

They had barely begun to digest that statement when the Oracle contacted them. Niobe went back into the Matrix to meet with her; when she jacked out, they had their own encounter with the sentinels. It was only after they set off their EMP and were forced to wait in darkness that they had a chance to consider what had happened. 

Or hadn't happened. 

Sparks, of course, had his own theories and wasted no time sharing them. He was certain the Vigilant had been destroyed. Maybe sentinels launched a three-pronged attack and, like the Vigilant, the Nebuchadnezzar had been destroyed as well. Maybe Neo hadn't had a chance to reach the Source. Maybe…

With the exception of telling Sparks to shut up, Niobe was mostly silent, seemingly content to analyze it all in her head. Though they asked, she didn't comment on her visit with the Oracle except to say that she was no less perplexing than usual. However, he sensed that his captain was trying to process what the Oracle had said - along with everything else.

For his part, he tried to avoid speculating too much about the fate of the Nebuchadnezzar or her crew, but he admitted to himself that it didn't look good. Assuming that Sparks was correct, and both the Vigilant and the Neb had been attacked by the sentinels in the same way the Logos had been, then chances were slim they survived it. 

But there was always hope. There was always a chance Sparks was wrong. Until he had more to go on, he decided to hold on to that. He had to.

It wasn't long before his thoughts moved on to the apparent failure of the mission. Like the others, he wasn't sure what to make of it, but in the time he had, he was able to develop his own set of 'maybe's'. 

Maybe Neo's mission wasn't a failure, but more a work in progress. Maybe it was a lesson in patience and the delay was just another example of the pitfalls of the human desire for instant gratification. Maybe Neo's journey to the Source was like a key being placed in a lock and rather than the immediate results they expected when he completed that journey, the key merely began a slow turn. Maybe the tumblers were still falling into place and all they had to do was wait.

Or maybe not. 

He had just begun to explore other lines of thinking when he heard the familiar static of an approaching hovercraft. Someone had found them.

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"Both the Vigilant and the Neb are gone," AK, the Hammer's operator, had solemnly informed them as he led them off the Logos and into the frigid ruins of the tunnel they landed in.

A sliver of fear ran through him and he glanced at Niobe. In the soft illumination provided by the Hammer, the look in her eyes had to have been mirrored in his own. To them, the Nebuchadnezzar's importance didn't lie solely in the fact that it carried the One within its shell. 

"What the hell happened?" his captain had demanded.

"Squiddies," AK came back, nodding to the mass of metal tentacles resting in a mangled mess nearby. "The bastards stayed just out of EMP range then launched some sort of bomb. They never had a chance."

He could have decked Sparks when he added his two cents.

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"I told you so."

"Shut up, Sparks!" Niobe snapped, tossing him a look of warning. Then she turned back to AK. "Survivors?" 

He waited uneasily for AK's answer. It seemed to take an eternity. 

"Four. All from the Neb." 

He did the math in a millisecond. Every member of the Neb's crew seemed to be accounted for and he felt the relief flood him. Until AK continued. 

"Three apparently unharmed, but one…"

He closed his eyes, only to see Trinity's face pass before him.

"Well, we honestly don't know what the hell is wrong with him. Maggie says he's in some sort of coma."

'Him.' 'He.'

He looked at Niobe expecting to see the realization hit her at the same time, but her face was impassive and he found himself wondering if she knew something he didn't.

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"Morpheus?" he finally asked when she didn't.

"Neo," the operator returned gravely.

**__**

"What?"

His sentiment was simultaneously echoed by Sparks, who was shocked enough that he abstained from his usual smart-assed remark and instead resorted to a simpler expression of disbelief.

"Shit."

Niobe, on the other hand, remained silent. Still, he knew the implications of that revelation had to be processing in her mind, just as they were in his own. The One is down? How can that be? He's supposed to…

"That's not all," AK interrupted his thoughts. "The counterattack has failed."

Ghost could sense the hope begin to shrivel in his comrades and to his surprise, he felt his own inner calm waver.

"Son of a bitch," Niobe muttered as they climbed aboard the Hammer, "Where the hell is Roland? We need to -"

"He's with Morpheus and Link," AK cut her off. "They're waiting for you in the core."

The briefing had gone quickly. Impatient to hear what Roland and Morpheus had to say, Niobe started off by promptly confirming what Roland and Morpheus had already guessed had happened with the sentinels. Roland followed by bringing them up to speed on the failure of the counterattack and finding Bane. 

Then it was Morpheus' turn to fill them in. 

He listened intently as the captain began by explaining that Trinity had remained behind while he and Neo entered the Matrix, only to go in when Soren and his crew were killed. He was stunned as he heard the details of her battle with the agent, her death and subsequent resurrection. Never had he been more grateful for forces he didn't understand than at the moment Morpheus shared how Neo brought Trinity back to life.

After that, Morpheus swiftly moved on to explain how, after exiting the Matrix, they were targeted by the sentinels' bomb and lost the Neb. Finally came the account of how Neo managed to save their lives by somehow stopping the sentinels, only to collapse after doing so.

Though they had their questions, Roland brought the briefing to an end, wanting to continue things in the mess, where the remainder of the crews had already gathered to discuss their next step. While Niobe and the others headed there, he made a detour and came here. 

Bringing his mind back to the woman sitting next to him, he studies her profile for a moment. Even as her gaze is fixed on some abstract point on Neo's chest, he can tell she's drained. In fact, he can't recall the last time he's seen her look so tired. 

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No, not just tired, he realizes suddenly. _Deflated._

He knows from experience that she must be physically feeling the residual effects of her battle in the Matrix. But it isn't so much the physical effects of the last few hours he's worried about. His concern for her finally overriding the need to let her dictate the flow of conversation, he quietly speaks to her.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." 

A hint of a smirk tugs at a corner of his mouth. He hadn't expected any other answer. 

"You're not." It was a simple statement of fact, with no challenge or accusation in his tone. "You're exhausted."

"Isn't everyone?" she asks dully, her brows arching.

"Maybe," he replies, shifting his eyes to Neo's chest, searching for what has her so enraptured that she keeps her eyes focused there. "But not everyone just took a beating from an Agent, Trinity. Not everyone just died, got resurrected and lost the ship they called home for most of their unplugged life."

This time, he gets no reply. As he switches his gaze back to her, he spots a tin container resting on a stand nearby. Its contents are clearly untouched and he assumes that by now the bland, soupy mixture is as cold as the tin itself.

"You haven't eaten."

"I'm not hungry."

He stifles a sigh, knowing he must be patient. Getting through her barriers is a process, a seemingly never-ending and arduous process, but one that is more than worth it when successful. 

"Trinity…" he says quietly, allowing his voice to trail off, hoping to coax her into looking at him. 

He finds the expression 'the eyes are the window to the soul' to be easily true with most people, but Trinity isn't 'most people.' In all outward appearances, her 'windows' almost always appear to have their thick curtains drawn. In fact, he's heard more than one fellow rebel describe them as blank, even cold and unfeeling - a perfect reflection of the aloof nature she has come to automatically project. But he is one of a select few who know that those 'curtains' typically have various stages of thickness to them and it isn't until he looks into the depths of her soul that he knows how to proceed. 

She keeps her eyes on Neo and he isn't sure if it is because she's blatantly ignoring him or if it's because she is so deeply immersed in her own thoughts that she simply hasn't heard him. 

"Trinity," he says more firmly.

This time, cool blue meets warm brown. Though weary, her eyes are surprisingly not as closed off as he anticipated. He's not certain whether that's because she's too tired to expend the energy or because it's him, but he would bet on the former. In the span of a second, he reads shades of worry swirling with anger and sadness. Those he had expected, but he also sees something else, something unfamiliar. 

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Or perhaps it's something missing.

He doesn't have a chance to identify it however, as she quickly recognizes what he's doing and reacts by dropping thicker curtains into place.

"What?" she asks coldly.

He counters the hardness of her expression with one of open concern. Finally, her face softens and a silent apology passes between them.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He half expects her shake her head and turn back to Neo, but she continues to hold his gaze. 

"What is there to say, Ghost? The Neb is gone. The machines are still digging. And Neo…" She sighs wearily. "It's only a matter of time before they destroy Zion." 

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She's giving up, he realizes with surprise. Even in the wake of Neo's coma and the loss of the Neb, he had not anticipated this. He expected her determination and her fiery temper to spur her to fight even harder, not surrender. 

A familiar phrase suddenly floats into his mind... _Even the strongest have their moments of fatigue._

The words of Nietzsche, they remind him that, with all that has happened, even Trinity needs time to recover and regroup.

He stands there for a moment, uncertain as to how to help. It's all he can do not to bend down and hug her, but he knows she will not accept that right now. Instead, he gently places a hand on her shoulder. 

"It's not over, Trinity," he says confidently. "There's still time. We'll find another plan and Neo will come around. He can still end this."

At that Trinity turns away, but not before he picks up on a stiffening of her shoulders and a flicker of something in her eyes that unsettles him.

He frowns. _Doubt?_

He isn't sure and almost dismisses it - until he remembers something he thought he saw flash briefly in Morpheus' eyes as he came on board. Suddenly, an icicle lodges in his gut. 

"Trinity… What is it you're not telling me?"

For a long moment, Trinity says nothing. When she finally glances up at him, he can see there is something she wants to say; but he also gets the sense she is debating with herself. 

"Ghost, there's…" 

She hesitates. For a brief moment, he thinks she is finally going to share what it is that is weighing on her so heavily, but then she lowers her eyes. "Was there something specific you came here for?"

He sighs, openly disappointed that she is not going to let him in right now. "I came here to see you. I wanted to make sure you're okay and I thought…" he pauses, squeezing her shoulder, "I thought you could use a friend."

"I'm fine," she states quietly, saying the words as though they have become her mantra. "Really."

"I'm still not buying that, Trinity, but I'll let it go. For now." 

He watches as she releases what he can only interpret as a sigh of relief.

"I'm here when you're ready; you know that."

"I know." Raising her eyes to meet his once more, she rewards him with a wan smile. "Thank you, Ghost." 

He nods, watching as her attention falls back to Neo. 

"In the meantime," he says, "We're meeting in the mess. Time is scarce and we have a lot to do. I thought you might want to join us."

Trinity doesn't answer and makes no attempt to move from her seat. 

"Trinity?" he gently prods after a moment.

"Go ahead, Ghost. I'll be there in a minute."

"All right," he replies quietly. "I'll see you there." But even as he turns to leave the room, he knows she won't be following.


	3. Niobe

**__**

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. ~~ Dale Carnegie 

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NIOBE

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And now for the waiting, she sighs as Roland exits the room. 

Three separate crews had come together, cramming themselves into the Hammer's mess in order to develop a strategy for what will likely be the most important and admittedly most bleak battle they've faced with the machines. 

Now that group is breaking up and trickling out the door. While Sparks, Link and a few others head back to the Logos to begin repairs and prepare it for the battle to come, most of the others are moving off alone, to rest or prepare or continue trying to come up with a last minute plan - or 'Hail Mary pass' as Sparks put it - on their own. 

She observes the man across the table as he is one of the last to rise. Despite the almost palpable undercurrent of gloom among the group, he has offered no pep talk, no words of wisdom.

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Not a good sign, she decides. And it's not the first indication she's had that something is wrong.

He has been avoiding her since she came on board. That alone is enough to frustrate her. He should know by now that it wouldn't matter. She knows him too well.

She noticed a difference in him the moment she set eyes on him at their initial briefing. Though still projecting the appearance of the ultra-calm, authoritative captain, there is something that is… off. Understandable given the overall situation, but something about him has been nagging at her.

She attempts yet again to catch his gaze as he makes his way to the door. This time, he finally meets her eyes.

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It's about time, dammit, her dark eyes flash at him.

Catching one of his irritatingly familiar 'Not now, Niobe' looks, she watches as he wordlessly turns and leaves the room. 

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Oh no you don't. You're not getting away this time, she tells him silently, still annoyed that when she tried to speak with him alone after their initial debrief, he deftly managed to evade her. _ Why can't you see I need to talk to you?_

She waits just long enough for him to walk through the doorway before rising to follow, getting all of two steps away from the table before a familiar voice speaks just loud enough for only her to hear.

"I hope you get more out of him than I got out of her." 

Turning around, she finds that Ghost, in his remarkably quiet way, has come up behind her.

"How is she?"

"About the same as he appears to be. Stubborn, stoic..." He pauses to give her a meaningful look. "And holding back."

Glancing after Morpheus, she scoffs. "Kind of makes you want to strangle 'em sometimes, doesn't it?"

Though Ghost smirks in agreement, she can almost see him silently adding, _Strangle them, or hug them._

"And Neo? I'm assuming there's no change."

At that, his smirk fades. "None," he replies soberly. Lowering his voice even further, he continues. "Niobe, we both know Morpheus hasn't been completely forthcoming. What do you think is going on?" 

She frowns, not sure whether to be relieved or disconcerted that she's not alone in picking up on that. "I don't know," she says, stepping through the doorway, "But you can bet I'm not getting off his back until I find out."

Heading down the corridor, she decides to check the Core first, thinking that Morpheus may have gone there to wait for Roland to finish speaking with Zion.

As she walks, she reminds herself that as aggravated as she is with Morpheus for avoiding her, she should be grateful he is around to be aggravated with at all.

When she exited the Matrix to hear Sparks say that in spite of their efforts, nothing had happened, she hadn't been sure what to think. When he went on to report that Morpheus and the others had vanished, she began to get a sinking feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. But it was when Seraph contacted the Logos with the message that the Oracle wanted to see her immediately that she truly felt her heart drop into her stomach. 

It seemed to her that the Oracle rarely, if ever, went through anyone but Morpheus when she had something important to say. That she had done so then made his disappearance that much more worrisome to her. In fact, she hadn't realized just how much it worried her until she felt the deluge of relief at AK's statement that the crew of the Neb had survived.

That reaction had caught her off guard. After all, they've both faced more than their fair share of danger on a regular basis, both in and out of the Matrix, and they had always managed to survive. But this time, at least for a while, it appeared that wasn't the case and the idea that Morpheus might be lost forever stirred up feelings she thought she buried long ago.

She and Morpheus have both made their choices in this life. She accepts that. He chose to make the prophecy his priority, pursuing it with every ounce of his existence - at the expense of their relationship. She chose to find other, more concrete ways of fighting the war. His pursuit eventually led him to Neo. Hers led her to Jason. 

She has tried telling herself she would've felt the same if it had been Jason missing or in danger, but with the sentinels closing in on Zion, Jason _is_ in imminent danger. And, the reality is, her feelings are not the same. 

Her examination of that situation had ended almost as soon as it began - both out of frustration with herself and because of the knowledge that she had other, more important things to think about. 

And thinking is what she's been doing ever since they set off the Logos' EMP. Thinking about what the Oracle said. Thinking about the prophecy. About what hadn't happened when Neo reached the Source. About Morpheus, Trinity and Neo. About the friends she just lost on the Vigilant and in the counterattack. And about how they are going to stop these machines from reaching and destroying Zion.

She hadn't been surprised when AK said it was not Morpheus but Neo who was in a coma. After what the Oracle said, she had already guessed that much. What bothers her is that it might lend more credibility to the Oracle's words than she feels comfortable with. 

Unlike Morpheus, she isn't in the habit of believing every word that comes out of the Oracle's mouth. But the woman seems to have been right about Neo and that has left her to wonder if the rest of their conversation might hold some truth as well.

Though she has made a conscious effort not to jump to conclusions about the lack of results when Neo reached the Source, in the back of her mind she can't help but think that it is just a confirmation of what she has long believed: The prophecy is nothing more than a fabrication of a creative mind.

__

But if what the Oracle said is true, she begins to argue with herself again, _Then there is a chance Neo might yet fulfill the prophecy Morpheus so firmly believes in, right?_

__

Then again, her Devil's Advocate pleads its case, _If Neo reached the Source as the Oracle said he did, then why the hell are the machines still digging? Didn't Morpheus say once that happened, the prophecy would be fulfilled and the war would be over?_

She draws a deep breath. She still isn't sure what to make of it all, but she knows of at least one person who might be able to shed some light on things.

__

And there's only so many places you can hide on a hovercraft, Morpheus.


	4. Morpheus

*****

**__**

If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. ~~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

****

MORPHEUS

As he leaves the mess behind, he can't help but notice the strangeness of the echo his boots create as they clunk against the grated metal below him. His ship sounds so different, feels so different.

He heaves a sigh. _Sounded,_ he corrects himself, the finality of the Nebuchadnezzar's fate still sinking in, _Felt._

He has always known the chance she might not survive this war was high. He was in fact, reminded of that with each and every sentinel encounter. Still, he had hoped that somehow, they would see the end of the war together.

Instead, here he is, walking the floors of someone else's ship - someone else's home - while his lies smoldering, a twisted wreckage in the dark depths beneath a lifeless surface. 

__

And in all likelihood, this ship will soon be suffering the same end, he thinks grimly. _As will Zion._

Zion. His other home. The one they will soon be fighting to defend, futile though that fight will be.

They have come up with only one seemingly viable tactical option, and he doesn't have much faith in it. At this moment, Roland is relaying that plan to Commander Lock, a task he - and to his surprise, Niobe - declined. Now they wait, the precious minutes ticking by too fast, while Lock discusses it with the Council. 

His frown deepens at the thought of Lock. 

__

I imagine you'll enjoy hearing that I was wrong about the prophecy, won't you?

Even before he became "Commander Lock," the man was not his favorite person. And that feeling has always been mutual. Not that it isn't to be expected. After all, while he had always believed the prophecy of the One was their only salvation, Lock believed it was a worthless fairytale. With such opposite views on how to end the war, it's only natural that they clash on occasion.

But the discord between them has only increased since Niobe became involved with the commander, more so on Lock's end, he believes, than on his own.

It's not that he holds Lock responsible for him losing Niobe. He knows he lost her long before they became involved. Lock had nothing to do with his quest for the One essentially putting the rest of his life - including Niobe - on a back burner. Lock had nothing to do with his neglect driving her away.

It's more that he knows Lock cannot make Niobe happy. That, and the fact that he can't help but feel more than a twinge of jealousy when he sees the two of them together.

He'd be lying if he said his feelings for her have diminished or faded over time. Perhaps that is one of the reasons behind Lock's growth in animosity toward him. Perhaps the commander senses that he still loves Niobe and, aware of the intense connection he and Niobe once shared, views him as a threat.

Or maybe… 

__

Maybe he fears that she might still love me…

Arching a brow, he wonders how much truth there might be in that thought.

He almost smiles at the memory of the mischievous sparkle her eyes held when she spoke to him after his remarks in the temple. Then there was that impish tug at the corner of her mouth as she hinted at wanting to dance. No sooner had he extended his hand and she moved to take it, than Lock had called out to her, but he hadn't missed her flash of disappointment at the interruption. Nor had he missed the way that sparkle seemed to vanish at the sound of the other man's voice. 

His expression quickly takes on traces of regret. Those moments in the temple were brief, but they remind him of how different things might have been had he not committed himself so completely to the search for the One. 

Though he had believed in the prophecy long before the Oracle revealed to him that he would find the One, it wasn't until he heard those words from her that his purpose in this war became clear to him. It wasn't until then that he became a man so driven, he allowed the prophecy to affect almost every decision he ever made.

No, as much as he doesn't like the man, it isn't Lock's fault. Nor is it Niobe's. The blame rests squarely on his own shoulders. 

__

I lost her. And for what? he thinks acrimoniously. _For a lie._

And the losses hadn't ended with Niobe.

Ever since that particular visit with the Oracle, he has fought for the prophecy with even more passion than before. He has watched as others have fought for it, watched as close friends and family died for it in some fashion or another. 

He briefly closes his eyes as the pain of loss surges in his soul. 

Dozer. Mouse. Apoc. Switch. Eventually Tank. Even Cypher himself.

They are but a few of many who have died in this war, but they have a special place in his heart. They were a part of his family. And he has held himself largely responsible for their deaths. 

How many times after Cypher's betrayal has he asked himself: '_If I hadn't been so preoccupied with finding the One, would I have seen what was happening to him?'_

The question is only that much more agonizing now, knowing that it was all for nothing.

__

Why did the Oracle mislead me? After a beat, he shakes his head, a painful realization occurs to him. _Perhaps that's my fault, too. I wanted the prophecy to be true. I needed it to be true - so much so that I was willing to blindly trust in it all._

Reaching his destination, he stops in the doorway. His eyes immediately settle on the two familiar figures in front of him; one lying inert on a table, the other diligently keeping watch over him.

In spite of the situation, he feels a wave of gratitude at the sight. This day has seen the end of two things he has held close to his heart: His ship and his belief in the prophecy. Though it has come painfully close, it has thankfully not seen the end of a third.

__

At least not yet, he thinks cynically. _The day is still young._

He still remembers the alarm that came over him when he jacked out of the Matrix to see that Trinity had jacked in. That alarm had turned to abject helplessness as he could do nothing but watch her code on the screen as she plummeted toward the ground, a bullet lodged in her chest. Finally, as her monitor flatlined, he felt the heavy grief begin to descend into his soul.

Though temporarily replaced by stunned relief when Neo revived her, that helplessness and grief returned as he watched the Nebuchadnezzar meet her abrupt end. Those emotions only deepened when moments later, he heard Trinity cry out and he found her holding an unconscious Neo in her arms.

Feeling his anger rise, he clenches his jaw and looks away from the couple in front of him. _This is not how it was supposed to be. We should be tasting victory. We should be celebrating the end of the war._

But the end of the war has not come as it was foretold. 

__

"It was a lie, Morpheus…" Neo's voice floats unbidden into his mind. "_The prophecy was a lie…"_

His gaze drops to the floor and he searches it with dark, unseeing eyes. At first, he couldn't believe Neo. He refused to. But the reality has had enough time to eat away at his conviction now. If the prophecy had been true, they wouldn't be on someone else's ship. They wouldn't be waiting for Neo to wake up. They wouldn't be facing a massacre.

What was once an unfamiliar feeling intensifies in him now, increasing the tightness in his gut. 

For so long, he has held on to his belief that the deaths he has seen have not been in vain. 

For so long, he has held on to his belief that he would live long enough to see freedom for his people. 

For so long, he has held on to his belief that the One would end the war. 

Now…

__

"The One was never meant to end anything…"

Now he's not sure what to hold on to.


	5. Trinity and Morpheus

**__**

Hope never abandons you. You abandon it. ~~ George Weinberg

****

TRINITY AND MORPHEUS

__

Do you know how important you are to me, Neo? Can you feel how much I love you? She moves her gaze from his face to their hands, letting it rest there for a brief moment before shifting it back. _Because there are no words to describe it. There are no words to explain…_

It is amazing to her sometimes. Amazing how much this one man has come to mean to her. Amazing that she, a woman who, in spite of the Oracle's words, had vowed to never let anyone past the deepest barriers to her heart, has so willingly allowed him to find his way there. Amazing that the peace and strength that come from loving him so completely can be equaled by the pain and helplessness of a time like this.

She glances at the nearby monitor, looking over the data for what feels like the millionth time. And for the millionth time, there is no change. 

Shifting her focus back to Neo, her eyes fall on the pulsation of an artery in his neck, gently throbbing in rhythm with the beeping of the monitor. She stares at it with her tired eyes, increasingly entranced. While her eyelids grow heavier and begin to close, her mind begins to relax and let go, even as part of her fights it. As she continues to succumb to the hypnotic combination, she feels a thought begin to form on the outer edges of her mind. 

Her eyes snap open and she instinctively reaches for it. 

This is the third time since Neo's collapse that she has felt this sensation. It came in those first few minutes she was alone with him, after Morpheus and Link left to be briefed by Roland and Maggie had left the room. It had come again when Ghost's calming presence was by her side. 

But like the other times it has come to her, it eludes her grasp, leaving her with an imprint of something too hazy to define.

She sighs in frustration, the heavy ache in her chest still with her and the muscles in her neck and shoulders now burning from the tension in them.

__

I wish I knew what to do, Neo. One hand still holding his, she moves the other to lightly caress his pale cheek. _I wish I knew how to help you._

Dropping her hand to join the other, she suddenly becomes aware of another presence in the room. She freezes, instantly more alert. Her eyes dart up to search the empty air in front of her and her already tight muscles tense even further - only to return to their previous state once she recognizes who it has to be.

Lowering her gaze back to Neo, she returns to her thoughts and waits for him to approach. Several long moments later she hears his footsteps stop next to her.

After tossing a cursory glance in Bane's direction, Morpheus returns his focus to Neo and Trinity. Looking down at her, he can see she appears deeply absorbed in her own thoughts. He can also see the effects of the last few hours are quietly and subtly wearing on her. 

His sense of guilt and responsibility sinks deeper into his soul. All these years, she has trusted him, helped him, followed him on this journey - in spite of the doubt he knows she's had at times. And this is where that trust has taken her.

He switches his attention to the man in front of him. If he didn't know better, he'd think he could reach out and shake him from his sleep. But he does know better. Neo too, had trusted him. Neo too, it seems, is paying a price. 

He stands there for a long moment, continuing on this path, until she breaks the silence.

"The meeting is over." It was more a statement than a question. 

"Yes," he replies, his eyes still fixed on Neo.

When it becomes apparent to him that she's not going to ask the question, he switches his gaze to her and supplies the answer anyway.

"They have a strategy." 

Feeling his eyes on her, Trinity looks up at him. _He looks tired,_ she decides as she waits for him to continue. _Tired. Uncertain. Older._ Not the man she is accustomed to seeing.

"Roland is speaking with Zion now. We are waiting for their decision."

She turns back to Neo. She doesn't have to ask Morpheus what he thinks; she can see it by looking at him. He doesn't believe they will succeed. 

__

What does it say when even he loses hope? she wonders to herself.

"There isn't much time left," she says after a moment, her eyes focused on the steady rise and fall of Neo's chest. 

__

Twenty-four hours. That's what he said they had left. Though she can't be certain, she imagines they have fewer than twenty of those hours remaining. And in her experience, decisions are not made quickly in Zion. 

"At this point," Morpheus replies solemnly, "I do not believe they will be taking their time."

He lowers his gaze to see her hands are wrapped securely around one of Neo's. In all the years he has known her, he has never seen her more content or relaxed than she's been these last few months. It makes the contrast in her now that much more upsetting to him.

__

This is not how it was supposed to be, he repeats to himself. _They should be -_

"You haven't told them," she states, unknowingly interrupting his thoughts.

"No," he replies quietly. "I haven't."

She had already known the answer. She knew the instant Ghost suggested there was still time for Neo to end the war.

"Why not?"

__

'Why not?' Morpheus repeats to himself. He takes a deep breath and slowly releases it. It is a question he has asked himself repeatedly and one he still doesn't quite have an answer for. 

At first, they'd all been so focused on figuring out what happened to Neo that it hadn't occurred to him to tell anyone. Nor had it come up during his briefing with Roland and his crew. 

__

And really, why would it?

There were only three crews who knew of Neo's journey to the Source. With Soren and his crew dead, that left his crew and that of the Logos. It wasn't until Niobe, Ghost and Sparks came aboard that he realized he would have to address it. And even then…

"I don't know," he replies finally. "Perhaps because I wish to spare them what we are going through. Or perhaps because there is a small part of me still foolish enough to want…" 

His voice trails off and Trinity closes her eyes, part of her desperately wanting to hear him finish the sentence. Instead, she hears the bitterness in his voice as he speaks again.

"But that's not going to happen." He pauses to consider her question again before he shakes his head. "I honestly don't know, Trinity."

"And Link?"

He exhales at the mention of his operator. _I ask him to do one thing - to trust me. And this is what happens._

He knows Link thinks he should tell them, but the younger man has not said a word. Instead, he seems to be silently deferring to his captain's judgment. He doesn't know Link well enough yet to make an accurate guess as to why he came to that decision, but he is grateful for his silence thus far.

"To my knowledge, he has not said anything."

Trinity nods. She can understand Morpheus wanting to spare the others. She had wanted to tell Ghost - if not purely for the fact that she owes him the truth, then for her own selfish reasons. She wanted to hear him tell her Neo was wrong. She wanted to hear _someone_ say it. But in the instant before she was going to utter the words, she realized she couldn't. He believed and that gave him hope. She couldn't take that away from him. 

She's still not confident she made the right decision. Nor is she sure how long they'll be able to keep it from the others.

"Niobe will know you're keeping something from her," she says, as certain of that as she is that Ghost had picked up on it with her. 

"I know," he replies, his eyes downcast. 

In fact, he is sure she's already well on her way to figuring it out. When he briefed Niobe and her crew, he had skipped over Neo's declaration, concentrating instead on the events before and after his revelation, hoping they would draw one conclusion - that he hadn't had an opportunity to speak with Neo before the sentinel attack. 

It seemed to have worked at the time, but he knows Niobe. Her normally welcome gaze has become uncomfortably penetrating in the short time since the briefing and he knows it's only a matter of time before she questions him. What he doesn't know is what he will say when she does.

"They should know," Trinity suddenly says, her voice laced with uncertainty even as she says it. "They need to know he's not going to end this war."

Morpheus suddenly feels himself wavering. _She's right. What's the point of keeping it from them?_

There are those among these crews who believe as he had believed, but while some of them feel there is still a chance Neo will come out of his coma in time to end this, he knows they're not willing to stake Zion on it. Not nearly as willing as he would have been just a few short hours ago. 

__

Who am I to decide what they should or should not know?

"Perhaps it is best that they know. But how do I tell them, Trinity? How do I tell them the prophecy so many of us have believed would save us - the prophecy so many have given their lives for - is a lie?"

Hearing the distress coloring his voice, Trinity glances up at him to see it reflected in his eyes. Unable to recall ever seeing that level of torment in him, she lowers her eyes, feeling her own uncertainty and despair grow. She wishes she had the answer, or, at the very least, words of comfort. But she doesn't. Instead, in a move that surprises both of them, she reaches out and takes his hand in her own. 

Not only does he appreciate the value of such a rare gesture from her, he can't help but notice that she has just physically linked the three of them together. The three of them. The remnants of a family. 

He squeezes her hand, silently expressing his gratitude for her gesture. He almost expects her to withdraw her hand and return it to Neo's, but she doesn't; and they remain like that for a few moments, each absorbed in their own thoughts. 

"I should go," he says at last. "We should be hearing from Zion soon."

She nods, though she finds herself almost wishing he wouldn't go just yet. _Misery loves company, isn't that how the saying goes?_

Looking back at Neo, she knits her brows together as the vague sensation returns to nag at her in something close to a whisper. Once again, she concentrates on it, only to have it evaporate like delicate wisps of warm breath in cold air. Once again, it leaves her with an ambiguous impression. This time however, the impression is enough that she tries to put it into words. 

"I don't think he's going to come out of this on his own."

Morpheus feels the knot in his stomach grow tighter. He knows better than to ask how she knows. Over the last several months, the bond between Trinity and Neo has reached a level he's not sure anyone can comprehend, much less define. But he's not sure he understands what she's trying to say. Has Maggie missed something? Or does she somehow sense he's not going to recover? 

"What do you mean?" 

He watches as she seems to search for an answer. 

"I don't know…" she finally says. "I just wish I knew how to help him." 

Placing a hand on her tension-filled shoulder, he looks down at her with weary understanding. "You need to get some rest, Trinity," he says with quiet authority.

His voice draws her out of her thoughts and she looks up at him. "So do you," she counters, her tone echoing his. 

Eyes locked, they can see the other won't be resting any time soon. 

"I'm staying here," she says, turning away from him.

"I know."

He stands with her for another long moment, images of dreams he had for their future flashing and fading in his mind's eye. When he finally turns and leaves the room, he can't help but notice that his heart and his steps feel even heavier than when he walked in.


	6. Niobe and Morpheus

**__**

Just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings. ~~ Elie Wiesel

****

NIOBE AND MORPHEUS

She shakes her head as she steps out of the infirmary, her concern for Trinity greater than it had been when she walked in the door. She can only imagine what must be coursing beneath her friend's stoic mask, but the general impression she got simply reinforces the need to speak with Morpheus, whom apparently she just missed. 

Time is rapidly running out. The strategy they are submitting to Zion isn't strong enough and, while she hopes that the tactical brains in Zion are going to conjure up a last minute miracle, she's not at all confident that's going to happen.

__

Which leaves Neo, she tells herself. And **he's** in a coma.

She blows the air from her lungs. _But what if that's something we can change? _she asks herself, returning to her internal debate_. No, what if it's something Trinity can - _

Distracted by her thoughts, she nearly walks into Maggie as she rounds a corner.

"Captain Niobe," Maggie acknowledges with a nod. The medic glances over Niobe's shoulder at the infirmary down the short corridor behind her. "I was just heading back. Any chance you were able to talk her into taking a break?"

She scoffs. "No." 

In truth, she hadn't even bothered trying. She knew it would do no good. But as she sees Maggie shake her head, she catches the concern flash across her face. "What?"

"I don't care how strong people say that woman is," Maggie answers, "If she doesn't get some rest soon, I'm afraid she'll collapse. And I really don't want another patient on my hands right now."

"I know," she agrees. "But I also know you can't force Trinity to do what she doesn't want to do. Don't worry. She knows her limits."

"I hope so."

"Any idea what's caused Neo's coma, yet?" 

"I don't know," the other woman answers with another shake of her head. "I've noticed a couple of interesting things, but…"

"But what?"

Maggie hesitates. "I'm still working on it," she finally says. "I'll let you know when I figure it out."

She frowns, wondering if, like Morpheus, Maggie is holding something back. 

__

Stop it, Niobe. You're getting paranoid.

She lets it go but as the medic steps around her to continue on her way, she spins around. "Have you seen Morpheus?"

"I think I saw him heading to Roland's quarters. They're doubling up for now." The medic nods to a ladder behind Niobe. "Down a level, last room on your right."

"Thank you."

Less than a minute later, Niobe finds herself knocking on Roland's door. She waits impatiently, listening for movement within. After knocking a second time and still getting no response, she reaches out to try the door. Just as her fingers touch the cool steel, it screeches and is pulled away from her.

Morpheus suppresses a frown. He had opened the door thinking it might be Roland with word from Zion. Now he wishes he had ignored the knock.

"Captain Niobe," he acknowledges formally. 

"Morpheus," she nods.

"Is there something I can do for you, Captain?"

"Funny," she says with a humorless smirk, "I was going to ask you the same question."

He raises his brows, but says nothing. Already, he can feel her unyielding gaze examining him. 

"Mind if I come in?"

He hesitates for a split second but he knows he doesn't have any choice. If he doesn't let her in, she'll only make it that much harder on him. And whatever conversation is about to take place, he is sure he doesn't want it taking place out in the corridor where they can be easily overheard. Stepping back into the room, he pulls the door open to allow her entry. 

"You look tired," she says quietly as she steps by him.

"I am," he replies laconically. Closing the door, he turns and leans back against it. "So, what can I do for you, Captain?"

Seeing that his inscrutable expression is firmly in place, she feels her irritation rise. She's always hated when he uses this particular mask with her. "You can drop the Captain bit, for starters." Not seeing even a flicker of a response on his face, she sighs. "I need to talk to you."

"Of course," he says, crossing his arms across his chest. "But are you sure we shouldn't ask Commander Lock for his approval first?" He cringes inwardly, regretting the words even as they left his mouth. 

Niobe raises her brows. "Excuse me?" 

"I'm sorry," he says sincerely. "That was… unfair."

Niobe tries to swallow her temper, but the annoyance still manages to seep into her voice. "Not to mention juvenile and unnecessary." 

Morpheus sighs. Fully aware that he is already starting this out badly, he tries again. "What did you come here to discuss?" he asks, stepping away from the door. "If it's about further exploring our options, truthfully Captain, I think we both know we've exhausted the poss- "

"Stop it, Morpheus," she says crisply, pinning him with her dark eyes. She waits for him to say something. When he doesn't, she shakes her head, frustration easily readable on her face. "What's wrong with you?"

Clasping his hands in front of himself, Morpheus resists the urge to scoff, choosing instead to try to keep up the façade. "Aside from the inconvenience of having to wait to hear from Zion, I assure you, Captain, I am fine."

"Oh cut the bullshit, Morpheus!" Niobe snaps. "It's me you're talking to, remember? You've been avoiding me. You were distracted back there in the mess and you're -"

"If you are about to suggest I wasn't doing my best to help -"

"What I was about to _suggest,"_ she cuts in, "Is that there's more going on here than what you've told us. Even after what happened to the Neb…" She shakes her head, unable to keep her concern from softening her tone. "This isn't like you, Morpheus." 

Morpheus holds her gaze for a long moment, the futility of it all setting in. Niobe's petite stature couldn't be a more deceptive disguise for her impressive strength and fierce determination. While they are qualities he admires and appreciates about her, they are also qualities he is well acquainted with - on more than one level. He knows how relentless she can be and right now, he doesn't think he has it in him to win this particular battle of wills. 

Finally, he looks away, silently surrendering. "What is it that you want to hear, Niobe?" he asks with a weary sigh.

Grateful that he as at least dropped her formal title, she takes a seat in the chair at Roland's desk. "I want to hear what's going on with you."

"I don't suppose telling you to leave it alone will work."

She shrugs her shoulders, a corner of her mouth inching upward. "Why would it start now?" 

__

Why, indeed. He moves to sit on the narrow cot across from her and rubs the back of his neck. The tension there has given rise to a dull ache at the base of his skull and he has a feeling it's only going to get worse. 

Niobe watches as he rests his elbows on his knees and folds his hands together. His gaze is unwaveringly fixed on his hands and, sensing he is struggling, she patiently waits for him to work through it.

"Today…" she finally hears him say, "Today has not been a good day."

"Ever the King of Understatements," she mutters, arching a brow. She slides her chair forward, reducing the distance between them before she too, rests her elbows on her knees. "I'm really am sorry about the Neb, Morpheus," she says sincerely. "Believe it or not, I do understand what she meant to you."

Morpheus glances across at her. Only inches away from her now, he soaks up the warmth of a presence that was once so much a part of his life. "If anyone could understand, Niobe, it would be you."

"You lost a lot today, Morpheus," she continues empathetically. "You lost your ship; your home; you even lost Trinity for a while there. And now -"

"And now we're about to lose Zion."

"That hasn't happened yet," she returns, her voice firm.

"It will," he says, his eyes dropping to study his hands again. "Soon. And we won't be able to stop it."

She pulls her brows together at the certainty in his voice. 

"This war is about to end, Niobe," he continues. "And it isn't going to be the ending we - the ending _I_ believed we would see."

She remains silent for a moment, not quite sure how to respond to his temporary lapse in faith. "The plan could work," she finally says. "And maybe Neo will -" 

"Neo won't," Morpheus says quietly. "He can't."

"Maybe he can," she argues, scrutinizing his sullen expression. "That's what I -"

"He _can't_, Niobe." Raising his eyes to meet hers, he slowly shakes his head. "Neo cannot end this war."

"He's not dead, Morpheus," she points out, misunderstanding him. "If he wakes up…" 

Her voice trails off as the realization finally dawns on her. His lapse of faith isn't temporary. 

She can see now, what has been bothering her since she first saw him at the briefing. Gone is the man who so confidently addressed the people of Zion at the temple gathering. Gone is the unshakeable belief that was once so visible in his eyes.

"You've given up," she breathes in disbelief. She sees his answer reflected in his eyes and, stunned at how easily he's surrendered, she pulls back in her chair. "That's bullshit, Morpheus! What happened to the man who spoke of being unafraid? What happened to the man who believed we could win this war?"

Morpheus stares back at her, his dark eyes resigned. "He woke up, Niobe," he says simply. "He was finally forced to wake up."

Rising to her feet, Niobe's frustration continues to taint her voice. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you, Morpheus, but it's not just about what happened to the Neb, or to Trinity or Neo. That leaves the only other thing you care about: the prophecy. So why don't you save me a lot of time and aggravation and just tell me what the hell is going on?"

Morpheus takes a breath, his shoulders almost sagging as he exhales. "The prophecy was a lie, Niobe." 

__

There. He closes his eyes. _It is done._

Niobe tenses. "What?"

"It was a lie," he repeats, finding the words no less difficult to say the second time around. "Neo reached the source. When the One reaches the Source, the war should be over. Yet here we are," he spreads his hands in front of him, "The war is still raging."

"Really? I hadn't noticed that," she retorts before she can stop herself. 

Seeing him stiffen defensively, she clenches her fists, irritated with herself. She knows that attitude won't help the situation. "I'm sorry," she says, softening her tone. "I just thought…" She sighs. "Well, I guess I thought you'd have an explanation. You usually do." 

"An explanation, Niobe?" Morpheus glances up at her with brows raised, interpreting her words on his own. "Don't you mean 'an excuse'?"

"I said what I meant, Morpheus."

He studies her for a long moment, searching for a sign that she is trying to revive one of their old arguments. To his relief, he sees only her desire to understand. "All right, Niobe," he nods. "I do have an explanation for you."

Niobe crosses her arms, already sensing she's not going to like what he has to say. 

"After Neo and Trinity jacked out of the Matrix, he told us - "

"Wait a minute," she interrupts, "I thought you didn't have a chance to speak with him about what happened before the sentinel attack." 

"I never said that, Niobe."

She works the muscles in her jaw, the understanding hitting her. "No, you're right," she agrees, the edge returning to her voice. "You didn't. You just implied it, didn't you?" 

As she glares down at him, she isn't sure whether she should be angry that he has purposely misled her, or hurt that he felt the need to do so in the first place. "Well," she says tightly, "Are you going to tell me what he said or do we have to play Twenty Questions?" 

Morpheus forces himself to hold her sharp gaze. He can't blame her for being angry with him. "He said the prophecy was a lie," he answers, repeating the words that have seared themselves into his brain. "That it was just another system of control." 

"The Oracle told him that?" Niobe asks, her brows knitted together in confusion.

"No." He says with a shake of his head, reminded of yet one more thing he doesn't understand. "He said he believed 'him'. He didn't say who it was."

He watches as she turns away and braces himself for her reaction. When she doesn't say anything immediately, he keeps his eyes on her rigid spine, unable to help wondering what is going though her mind.

Her heart racing in her chest, Niobe moves her hands to her hips. It shouldn't surprise her. It's exactly what she had expected, what she prepared for. Isn't it?

__

"I can't help it, Morpheus, her own words echo in her hears, _"I can't help thinking… What if you're wrong? What if all this - the prophecy, everything - is bullshit?"_

__

And it is.

She swallows; her throat dry and constricted. She had never really believed in the first place, had she? She always had her doubts about the Oracle. The Prophecy of the One was just a pipe dream, one she resented at times. And Morpheus… Morpheus had just gotten sucked into the fantasy. 

So why then, does she find herself suppressing a growing feeling of quiet panic? 

The reaction forces old questions to surface, questions she thought she answered long ago. Has she merely talked herself into not believing? Is it possible that maybe, in a small, ignored corner of her heart, she has believed all along? Has she secretly been hoping that it was true, unconsciously depending on it so that if the more conventional methods of fighting this war failed, it would be there to fall back on and protect them in the end? 

She doesn't know anymore. 

In the last six months, she's seen Neo do things no one has ever done. What she hasn't seen, she's read about in detail in both Morpheus' and Trinity's reports. And then there are the stories and rumors that have made the rounds. She has used more than one explanation to rationalize it all to herself, but after what he did with Trinity and the sentinels… 

It occurs to her then. While she still isn't sure she believes in the One or the prophecy per se, she has stopped denying that Neo is special. That's why she had helped him in his attempt to reach the Source, wasn't it? Because, with the situation so dire, if there was even the slimmest chance Morpheus was right… 

"It seems you were right all along, Niobe," she hears Morpheus say bitterly from behind her. 

She closes her eyes, refusing to be baited. "I hope you're not waiting for an 'I told you so'."

"After everything that's happened between us… I wouldn't blame you."

"I've seen some of what Neo can do, Morpheus," she says, turning back to face him. "And he saved your life. More than once."

"Yes," Morpheus nods soberly. "Neo _is_ the One, Niobe. But the One… The One isn't what we thought."

"I don't understand," she mutters under her breath.

"Neither do I." 

"No, I mean I don't…" Tilting her head back, she stares at the pipes above her, feeling her own fatigue catching up with her. "Why would she tell me that -"

"Who?"

Niobe hesitates. Placing her faith in the cryptic words of a soothsayer goes against just about every one of her natural tendencies. Yet here she is, trying to do just that. "Morpheus, what if…" She glances over at him. "What if there was a way Neo could still end -" 

"He _can't_," he grinds out in frustration. "I just told you -"

"I know what you told me," she cuts him off. "But the Oracle -"

Morpheus snorts angrily. "The Oracle."

Niobe clenches her fists again. This time however, her frustration lies not with herself, but with him. She's not used to dealing with this Morpheus but it hasn't taken long to decide she doesn't like it. Taking a deep breath, she orders herself to keep her temper and be patient.

"The Oracle contacted us before the sentinels attacked, Morpheus. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. But this doesn't make sense. She gave me the impress -"

"The Oracle doesn't know as much as we've given her credit for, Niobe," he says, abruptly rising to his feet. "Either that or…" 

"Or what?"

He frowns, instinctively not liking where his mind is taking him. "Either that or she's been lying to us all along."

"Why?" she argues. "Why would she do that?"

"Good question. Perhaps she isn't who I thought she was. But it doesn't really matter anymore."

"I don't know if I believe that." She raises a hand to rub a shoulder in an effort to massage the burning tension away. "I think she's risked a lot to help us. To help Neo."

Morpheus glares at the floor. "Help us do what, is the question."

"Would you stop with the childish self-pity for a minute?" Niobe growls. It takes every ounce of her self-restraint not to lose what little patience she has left when she sees him turn away. "Listen to me, Morpheus. I'm not sure what the hell is going on with the Oracle or the prophecy, but I'm trying to…" She tries to find the word. "I'm trying to understand." 

Her eyes on his back, she hesitates again, struggling with her next admission. "And I want to believe in Neo."

Taken aback, Morpheus snaps his head around to look at her. She's never been one to believe before. Even after seeing Neo's abilities with her own eyes, he knows she has continued to doubt. 

"Why, Niobe?" he challenges. "Why start believing in him now?"

She levels her dark eyes at him. "Maybe because he's all we have left, Morpheus. Maybe because one of us has to." Suddenly uncomfortable, she begins to pace in the small room. "I don't know. The Oracle's different but she -"

"What do you mean, she's 'different?'"

Glancing over her shoulder, she stifles her surprise. She thought he knew. "I mean she's different, Morpheus. As in not the same. But then… She is." 

She stops for a moment to gauge his reaction. Taking in his expression, she almost smiles. At least she has his attention now. "She isn't the same woman," she explains. "The Merovingian… Somehow, he changed her. Apparently, he threatened to make her pay if she helped Neo and now he's making good on it."

"How is that possible?"

"Hell if I know," Niobe answers, rolling her eyes as she drops down into Roland's chair again. "She didn't exactly give me the details. And we both know I'm hardly an expert in the ways and means of the Oracle."

She watches in silence as Morpheus takes his turn at slowly pacing the length of Roland's quarters, knowing he needs time to digest it all. 

__

I don't understand what is happening anymore, Morpheus tells himself. _The prophecy is true because Neo is the One. But it's not true, because he can't end the war. And the Oracle is no longer the Oracle? But yet she is?_

The Merovingian's words come back to him now. _"Run back, and give the Fortuneteller this message: Her time is almost up."_

He hadn't been certain exactly what he meant by that, but now… He shakes his head, his brow deeply creased. 

The Merovingian is punishing the Oracle for helping Neo? Why? Coma or not, Neo **can't **end the war. Or does the 'trafficker of information' not know that?

He makes a turn, his eyes rapidly searching the cold, steel floor for answers.

__

Does it even matter? he argues, still feeling the sting of Neo's revelation. _Does it even matter what the Oracle has to say? She's lied to us all along._

Or has she? Maybe she simply didn't know…

__

How could she not_ know? _he counters himself, alternately clenching and relaxing the muscles in his jaw._ She's an oracle!_

He sighs, making a turn as he continues to debate in circles. 

__

Why would she contact Niobe? It must've been important and if it was **that **important, why didn't she just tell Neo when he saw her?

Then again, maybe she did. Maybe he just didn't tell us...

He raises a hand to massage a temple, the ache in his head having only expanded as the minutes have passed.

What if what she told Niobe is just another lie?

What if it isn't?

Niobe watches him as he continues to pace. She can see the internal war he is waging with himself and wants to help, but she remains silent, knowing him well enough to know that he needs to work through this on his own. Finally, she sees him come to a stop.

He stands still for a brief moment. While the debate in his head is far from over, the need to know more has won out for now. "What did she tell you, Niobe?" he asks, finally turning to face her. "Exactly." 

Niobe takes a deep breath before launching into her explanation. "She said that Neo touched the Source and separated his mind and body," she relays. "She said he's trapped between her world and ours."

"No," he says with a disappointed shake of his head. For a fleeting moment, he actually thought that what the Oracle told her might help explain things. Instead, it reminds him how misplaced his trust has been. "She's wrong, Niobe. Neo stopped the sentinels. That's when he collapsed. And that was _after_ he returned from the Source."

"Look," she says, raising her hands. "I'm just telling you what she told me. Why the woman never just comes out and says exactly what she means is beyond me." 

Arms clasped behind him, Morpheus returns to his pacing. _Trapped between the Matrix and the Real World? How did that happen? **Why **did that happen?_

A moment later, he stops in his tracks and faces her again. "Did she tell you anything else?"

"I asked if I could help him. I thought that was why she contacted us." 

"And?" 

"And she said Trinity could, but that she'd have to…" She pauses to remember the words. "She'd have to fight her way through hell to do it."

"And I have no doubt that she would," he sighs, her words causing a spark of his paternal concern for Trinity to rise. _What does that mean? And is it only Trinity who can help him? Or can I do something for him, too?_

Inhaling deeply, he slowly exhales. "Have you told her any of this?"

"No. I almost brought it up with her just now, but she looks like…" She shakes her head, much of what she picked up on with Trinity now making sense. "I wanted to speak with you first." 

Morpheus sits back down on the cot and stares at his feet. For a long moment, neither of them speak, but finally, he raises his eyes to look across at her. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before now, Niobe?"

"Why didn't you tell me before now that Neo said the prophecy is a lie?" she counters, her brows arched. "Look, you were avoiding me, Morpheus. You didn't give me a chance to tell you." 

"No, I suppose I didn't," he admits. He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what this means." 

"I don't either. But I got the feeling that Neo could still… finish this."

"But Neo said -"

"Morpheus, I don't know who told him what, but…" She pauses to rapidly search her brain for an explanation. "Look, I've read the reports. When Neo first saw the Oracle, she told him he wasn't the One. And he believed her, didn't he?"

"That isn't important, Niobe. It doesn't matter anymore."

"No? He's not infallible, Morpheus. What if he's wrong this time, too? He went to the Source, right? The _machine_ mainframe. What if this is just a case of someone telling him what they want him to believe in order to deter him? What if it's just another manipulation by the machines?" 

Morpheus remains silent, repeating her words in his head. _What if he's wrong...?_

It is what he wanted to believe when Neo first told him the prophecy was a lie and he wants to believe it is a possibility now. But at this point, he doesn't trust himself enough to know what to believe.

"That's a lot of 'what if's,' Niobe."

"Yes," she agrees. "But you have to admit, they are possibilities, aren't they? Or don't you think the machines are capable of a little deception?"

Again he says nothing. The machines are more than capable of deceit. The Matrix itself is proof of that.

Niobe falls silent as well. Over the past few minutes, she has seen a few, fleeting glimpses of the Morpheus she knows and loves. She's not sure if it's faint sparks of hope or flickers of belief that brought that out, but she knows that if fed, it might grow and spread. 

And she wants it to. 

Because up until now, she hasn't realized just how much he has needed to believe. And up until now, she hasn't realized just how much _she_ needs him to believe.

__

"The heart never speaks," the Oracle's voice rings in her ears. _"But you must listen to it to know."_

__

Is that what I'm doing? she wonders with a skeptical frown. _Or am I simply grasping at straws?_

After another moment, she rises from her chair and moves over to sit next to him on the cot. "Morpheus, I don't have the answers, but I believe there is still a chance that Neo can do something to help us," she says with certainty. 

He looks down as he suddenly feels the warm weight of her hand on his knee. 

"You have to believe that, too," she adds.

"I don't know what to believe anymore, Niobe," he says, looking back at her.

"I'm telling you there's a chance," she repeats, her eyes flashing with confidence and determination. "And if there's a chance, we have to take it. We have to, because if we don't…" She turns away, shaking her head.

Her use of 'we' has not escaped him and when she doesn't continue, he looks at her with curiosity. "What is it, Niobe?" 

She looks back at him, her lips curving upward at the irony of the situation. "I just never thought _I_ would be trying to convince _you_ to believe."

Morpheus returns her small smile. "Interesting reversal of roles, isn't it?" 

Looking down at her small hand on his knee, he covers it with his own. His heart warms when he feels her respond by turning her hand to grasp his. 

He concentrates on the distant familiarity of her touch and for a minute, he allows it to calm him. As much as he hadn't wanted to have this conversation with her, he is oddly grateful now, that she didn't let it go. 

He gently squeezes her hand, wondering if she knows how much her effort means to him. Perhaps if things were different - if her situation was different - he might allow himself to do more than merely hold her hand. As it is, he reluctantly releases it and rises to his feet. 

"Thank you, Niobe."

"Going to see Trinity?" she guesses as she watches him move away.

"Yes. If there's a chance she can help him, she deserves to know. And maybe she'll have more insight than I do."

Niobe rises from the cot, uncertain as to how to read him. Was it cautious hope that she just heard in his voice just now? Or was he merely relaying a fact?

Morpheus turns the wheel of the door, but just before he pulls it open, he hesitates. "I don't know what all this means, Niobe," he says quietly, staring at his hand where it rests on the wheel. The warmth of her touch has faded now, too quickly absorbed by the cold steel. "I don't know if what the Oracle said has any truth to it. I don't know how or even if Trinity can help Neo. If she does, I don't know what he can do to help us. But I do know you are wrong about one thing."

"Oh," she cocks an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

Turning back to her, Morpheus meets her gaze with an amalgamation of regret, sadness and love flashing in his eyes. "The Neb, Trinity, Neo and the prophecy…" he repeats her earlier list. "You're wrong if you think they're all I care about." 

With that, he pulls open the door and steps into the corridor, leaving her to follow.


	7. Trinity, Morpheus, Niobe and Ghost

A/N: Whew! I actually finished by Nov. 5! My thanks to everyone who has reviewed, I appreciate each and every one of them. A reminder that this section contains a small spoiler from behind the scenes footage from Revs. And finally, one more **HUGE** thank you to Ovo for the beta! You're the best!

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*****

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." ~~Author Unknown

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TRINITY, MORPHEUS, NIOBE & GHOST

__

Why are you just sitting here? she chastises herself as she stares at the edge of the metal table. 

The thin veil of shock that has been with her has gradually begun to lift, only to be replaced by an undercurrent of nervousness. The nagging whisper in her mind has grown louder and the impression it leaves has given rise to a sense of urgency that, until now, has been mostly muted by her clogged and worried mind. Yet in spite of the growing need to take action - any action - she has yet to move. 

__

You're a soldier - a fighter. You should be doing something to help him. You should be doing something to help Zion.

In her mind, she can picture the sentinels digging through the earth and can only imagine the hell they will unleash upon Zion once they reach it. 

__

And they will reach it, Trinity, she reminds herself. _There's nothing -_

"Trinity?" 

Blinking, she looks up to find Maggie standing at her side with a tin of water in her hand. 

"I thought you could probably use this," the redhead says with a small smile.

While Trinity's first reaction is to decline, looking at the tin, she suddenly realizes just how thirsty she has become.

"Thank you," she says as she takes the water. Raising it to her lips, she takes a sip, allowing the cool liquid to sit in her mouth before closing her eyes and letting it slide down her dry throat. 

Taking another sip, she watches over the rim of the container as Maggie moves to Neo's other side. The medic leans over Neo, pulling back an eyelid and flashing a light in his eye. She repeats the action with his other eye before Trinity sees her brow lightly furrow. 

"What is it?" she asks, barely keeping the worry from her tone.

Maggie shakes her head. "I'm just checking him again," she says noncommittally. 

Not reassured, Trinity watches the medic continue her exam. As she waits, she finishes off the water and sets the empty tin on a stand nearby. Shrugging off the blanket Ghost put on her shoulders, she rotates her head to work out the kinks then drags her fingers over her dry, burning eyes. 

Finally, Maggie glances at her to answer her unspoken question. "No change."

Trinity's lips press into a fine line. Although it was the answer she expected, she can't help but feel a stab of disappointment.

"It might help if I could figure out exactly what the sentinels did to him to cause this," Maggie adds, moving over to examine Bane again. "Then maybe I'd have an idea about how to reverse it."

__

The sentinels… Trinity lowers her gaze to look at Neo. An image of him, standing against the backdrop of a cold tunnel lit only by the flames consuming the Neb, flashes in her head. 

__

"Something's different…" his voice echoes in her ears. _"I can feel them."_

Those had been his last words to her before he collapsed. She does not want to believe that they are the last she will ever hear from him. 

Come on. Wake up.

She finds it ironic that, moments after he declared the prophecy was a lie, he was able to do something so unthinkable as to stop the sentinels the way he did.

__

I don't understand, Neo. She raises a hand to a shoulder, kneading the burning muscles with her cold fingers. _I look at what you can do in the Matrix... And I don't understand._

Over the last six months, his abilities in the Matrix have developed so quickly. Not only can he dodge bullets, he can stop them by merely raising a hand. There, he can see things that the rest of them can't and he can sense when things are happening. And he can fly. 

You took a bullet out of my body. You restarted my heart. And now… Now, you can stop sentinels. And you did that **here, **Neo_. In the Real World._

She searches his pale, expressionless face. _How can you do that if you're not meant to…?_

She sighs, the ache in her chest flaring uncomfortably.

__

Are we really supposed to believe that you possess all these abilities just to… what? To mislead us? As some sick, convoluted attempt at control? Why? 

__

I don't know, Neo. Arching a brow, she shakes her head almost imperceptibly. _I don't know if I can believe that._

She looks down at her hand where it holds his. _Or maybe it's just that I don't want to believe it._

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Maggie begin to move away from Bane. 

"Can I get you anything else?" 

Trinity glances up at her. _You can get Neo to wake up,_ she replies silently, even as she forces her lips into a small, appreciative smile. "I'm fine, Maggie. Thank you."

She turns back to Neo, her heart rate picking up as the feeling of urgency continues to flow through her. She can sense the minutes ticking away, each one allowing the sentinels to get a little closer to Zion. 

Time is running out, Neo. 

One hand still holding his, she curls the other into a fist to keep from fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. She has to help him. She has to help the Resistance. 

__

Do something, dammit! she orders herself.

She swallows, fighting to hold down the tears as she suddenly recalls the last time she issued that particular command to herself. 

__

Cypher. 

She had issued the order in an old TV repair shop in the Matrix, just after she realized what Cypher's intentions were. Then, the command was accompanied by a sense of foreboding and dread, as well as a nervous anticipation that was just shy of panic, as she listened to his rant, helpless to stop the death that was coming. 

She feels the same emotions coursing through her now, as if an intuitive warning of the death to come.

Her heart skips as she understands that, this time around, the death will be on a much larger scale.

"This is what keeps bothering me," she suddenly hears the medic mutter from behind her.

She glances over shoulder. She's not sure if Maggie was speaking to herself or to her, but the statement causes her worry to rise. "What?" she asks, rising to her feet.

As she joins Maggie at a bank of computer screens, the medic points to a screen. "His neural patterns don't look like someone who's in a coma."

Confused, she looks down at the other woman, but before she can open her mouth to ask a question, Maggie continues_._

"The strange thing is, I see these patterns all the time."

Trinity looks back at the patterns displayed on the screen to examine them again. 

"Where?" she asks softly.

"On someone jacked in."

Trinity's brows pull together. _Jacked in? How is that possible? _She looks back at Maggie and, seeing her puzzled expression, knows the medic doesn't have the answer. 

She glances over her shoulder at Neo, her confusion and worry compounded. _What does that mean, Neo?_ Walking back over to him, she grasps his hand and sits back down. _What's happened to you?_

She shakes her head. More questions. And it seems that now, the answers might be more important than ever. 

__

And you're the only one who has them, aren't you, Neo?

At that, another thought enters her mind. _Maybe you're not the only one, _she grudgingly considers.

She has already been through her debate about the Oracle. As a result, her conflicting emotions on the subject remain near the surface. So much of what the older woman told her has been true - everything, in fact, about her, about Neo and about them. Everything, except perhaps the most important thing: the prophecy itself. 

Would she know what's wrong with you? _Would she know how to fix it? _Her lips dip into a small, uncertain frown. _Can I even trust what she tells me if she does?_

She considers it for a brief moment and, taking a deep breath, she makes a decision.

Only one way to find out, Trinity.

Just as she is about to rise off the stool, it occurs to her that while she's been in her own little world, things may have changed. They had been at broadcast depth when the Neb went down and the Hammer picked them up, but, with Ghost and Niobe on board, she realizes there is a possibility that they have moved to meet the Logos. And that might present a problem. 

"Maggie," she calls over her shoulder, "Are we still at broadcast depth?"

"For the Matrix?" she hears Maggie answer from behind her. "I don't think so. We had to drop down to find the Logos after they were attacked. And Roland -"

Caught off guard, Trinity turns on the stool "The Logos was attacked?" she asks, doing her best to keep her voice even.

"Yes," Maggie replies simply, moving over to her.

Trinity closes her eyes and exhales. _Of course. You should've realized that was a possibility, Trinity. First the Vigilant, then the Neb, why not the Logos too? _

While slightly irritated that Ghost and Niobe have both been by and neither had said a word, she worries that may be because they have lost their ship as well. Opening her eyes, she looks back up at Maggie. "How bad was the damage?"

"They sustained some engine damage," Maggie explains, adjusting a sensor on Neo's monitor. "Niobe had to crash land. And by the time they set off their EMP, the sentinels had already begun latching on. They've already started working on repairs, but honestly, I don't know how bad it is."

Trinity drops her gaze. _I really have been in my own little world, haven't I?_

"We're down low enough that we can transmit to Zion," Maggie continues, returning to Trinity's original question, "So we might be out of range for the Matrix."

__

Shit, Trinity curses silently, staring at the floor. She had forgotten that Roland had spoken with Zion. 

"Why?" she hears Maggie ask.

Instead of providing an answer, Trinity shifts her attention back to Neo; part of her is reluctant to leave him, part of her knows it may be the only way she can help him - if she can help him at all.

I don't know if I can trust the Oracle, Neo. She squeezes his hand_. I don't even know if she can help. But I have to try. It's the only thing I can think of to do to help you._

Slowly, she rises from the stool. "If I leave, you'll stay with him?"  


"Of course," Maggie assures her before adding hopefully, "You going to get some rest?"

"I'm going to talk to Roland," Trinity replies, her gaze still on Neo. "Then I'm going into the Matrix."

"You're what?" she hears the medic say, "Trinity, with everything going on, I don't know if Roland's going -"

"Let him try to stop me," she mutters in a low, determined voice. She can feel her resolve growing by the minute, fueled by a renewed sense of purpose, overshadowing her apprehension.

As Morpheus enters the infirmary, he sees Trinity bend over to gently kiss Neo on the forehead. Once again, he registers a brief pang of the guilt and responsibility he felt the last time he was here, but it rapidly subsides as he moves over to her.

"I'll be back," he hears her say, and wonders if it is directed more at Neo than at the Hammer's medic. 

"Trinity."

Trinity turns around. "Morpheus," she says, immediately locking eyes with her captain and friend, "I need to see the Oracle."

Morpheus lifts an eyebrow in response. He knows he shouldn't be surprised, but he is. 

"Then you know?" he asks, only to instantly see his assumption is wrong.

Trinity tenses. "Know what?" she asks, her mouth suddenly dry, her dread and foreboding rising up again. "What's happened?"

Seeing the traces of alarm in her otherwise stoic expression, Morpheus quickly moves to explain. "The Oracle contacted Niobe, Trinity."

She arches her brows, surprised that the Oracle would have contacted Niobe instead of Morpheus or Neo. "When?"

"After she and Ghost jacked out of the Matrix."

__

After the Neb went down, she instantly realizes. _After Neo collapsed._

"Does she know about Neo?" she asks cautiously. 

"Maybe," Morpheus answers tentatively, before amending his answer. "Yes."

"Does she know what's wrong with him?"

Taking a breath, he hesitates, still having to make a conscious effort to try to believe what Niobe told him. "According to Niobe," he explains, "The Oracle claims that when Neo touched the Source, he became trapped between our world and the Matrix."

"Wait a minute," Maggie speaks up as she walks over to them. "I thought you said Neo collapsed when he stopped the sentinels."

Morpheus suppresses a frown as he glances over at the medic. He hadn't realized she was close enough to overhear them. "He did." 

Trinity keeps her eyes on her captain, her brows knitted tightly together. "I don't understand, Morpheus."

"I know, Trinity," he says with a sigh, "Neither do I."

Lowering her eyes, she tries to make sense of what he's said. Finally she switches her gaze to Maggie. "Would that explain his neural patterns?"

"It might," Maggie shrugs. "But I don't really understand what it means, Trinity, much less how it's possible."

Morpheus glances from one woman to the other, his brow furrowed, his concern for Neo mounting. Obviously, there's been a development he's unaware of. "What are you talking about?"

Tossing a quick glance at Trinity, Maggie exhales sharply and begins to explain. "It's something that's been bothering me for a while, I just didn't know how to explain it. Hell, I still don't. But Neo's neural patterns don't correspond to the normal range for someone in a coma."

"He's not in a coma?" he questions, simultaneously worried and relieved.

Maggie shakes her head. "I didn't say that. All the other markers indicate he _is_ - but his neural patterns... They're consistent with those we see when someone is jacked in to the Matrix."

At that, Morpheus' brow furrows even deeper. He shifts his gaze over to the table where Neo remains unconscious, suddenly becoming aware of his dull headache again.

"I still don't know what it means," Maggie continues, "But if what you're saying is true…" She shakes her head, giving Trinity an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry. It still doesn't help me, but I'll see what I can do with it."

"Thanks, Maggie," Trinity says, stifling her disappointment as she watches the medic return to the bank of computer screens. For a moment, she had hoped that the information might be useful to the medic, that she could use it to help Neo. 

Morpheus says nothing as he considers Maggie's report. He doesn't know what to make of it either, but it occurs to him that it would seem to lend some credibility to what the Oracle told Niobe.

Moving her gaze back to Morpheus, Trinity catches a glimpse of Niobe and Ghost walking through the door. Instantly, she brings her focus back to Morpheus' revelation.

"Did the Oracle explain how this happened to Neo?" she asks as the pair joins them, not wasting any time with pleasantries. "Or how to fix it?"

Niobe glances up at Morpheus, mildly surprised. "How far did you get?"

"Not far enough," he replies. "We got sidetracked."

"Sidetracked?" Niobe arches her brows, wondering what could have been so important that he was unable to fill Trinity in by now. 

"I'll explain later," Morpheus says, "Right now, I think I'll let you finish explaining."

"What has he told you?" Niobe asks, looking to Trinity.

"That the Oracle told you Neo's trapped between the Real World and the Matrix."

"Whatever that means," Ghost mutters. He sees Trinity's gaze flicker over to him and can see by her expression that he has just vocalized what she had been thinking but, for whatever reason, had held back.

Trinity shifts her attention back to Niobe. "What else did she tell you?"

"That you could help him."

Feeling a small current of relief flow through her at the words, Trinity slowly releases her breath. 

"Did she say how?" she asks, keeping her voice steady and her impatience in check.

"No," Niobe says, with a quick glance at Morpheus, "But I got the feeling it's not going to be easy."

Trinity's brows draw together. "Why?"

"Because she said you're going to have to fight your way through hell to do it."

Trinity doesn't even blink at the statement. She'll go through hell a hundred times if it means bringing Neo out of this. 

"She didn't say anything else?"

"No," Niobe shakes her head, "That's all."

"Not quite all," Ghost speaks up to remind her. 

Trinity looks at her friend expectantly. "What else is there?"

Instinctively knowing where Ghost is taking this, Morpheus glances in Maggie's direction and is relieved to find she seems to be busy working on something at the computer station. Telling Niobe had been difficult enough, he's not sure he's ready to tell the others just yet.

"It's about what Neo told you and Morpheus," he hears Ghost explain and finds himself thankful for the other man's discreet phrasing. Instantly, he feels Trinity's eyes on him and he returns his gaze to her. 

"You told them." It was a statement that to most others was devoid of emotion. He, however, detects her relief.

"He told me," Niobe says before he can answer. "I told Ghost on our way here."

__

I should've been the one to tell him, Trinity thinks, looking at the man who's been both a brother and a close friend to her.

Ghost catches Trinity's apologetic glance and nods. 

"It's okay," he says quietly, "I understand." 

As he listens to Niobe share her thoughts on her visit with the Oracle, Ghost keeps his eyes on Trinity. Her face is taut, yet expressionless. Her eyes, while still weary, are focused and intense. And he can read the traces of her conflicting emotions at Niobe's words.

He had been surprised when Niobe filled him in on what the Oracle and Morpheus had told her, but it has helped him understand what he saw in Trinity earlier. What worries him now is the Oracle's statement that Trinity would have to go through hell to free Neo. His only hope is that she makes it through that hell and comes back alive.

As Niobe finishes her explanation, Trinity shifts her gaze and considers what Niobe has shared. Knowing what she does about the other woman's views on the One and the prophecy, she's surprised at Niobe's certainty that Neo might still be able to end the war. She's also slightly more reassured. This is what she's wanted to hear, and the fact that it came from someone like Niobe has only helped alleviate some of her doubts. 

Some, but not all.

She looks at Morpheus. "What do you think?" 

Morpheus shifts his gaze to Niobe to see confidence reflected in her eyes. He draws on it. He has been standing here, listening to her explain things to Trinity, trying to sort out his own feelings and thoughts. He's managed to come to one important conclusion: If there's any way he can help bring Neo out of his coma-like state, he's going to hold to that. As for whether or not the One can help them, he's not entirely closed off to the possibility, but he's not sure he's ready to completely believe it either.

__

One step at a time, Morpheus.

He meets Trinity's gaze with unwavering eyes. "I think that if there is a chance she is right and that you can help Neo, then I will do everything I can to help you."

"So will we," Ghost adds, offering her a supportive glance.

Niobe looks at the dark-haired woman across from her. "What do you want to do, Trinity?" 

"I need to see the Oracle," she answers, reaffirming her earlier declaration. "She's the only one who can tell me how to help Neo."

Morpheus nods. "Then I'll talk to Roland."

Niobe tugs back a corner of her mouth. Though not carrying the power she is used to hearing, she recognizes the determination in his tone and hopes it is a sign that he is changing his path.

"_We'll_ talk to Roland," she says meaningfully, eliciting a grateful glance from him. "Two captains are better than one."

Trinity looks at Morpheus again, noticing for the first time the subtle change. While much of his uncertainty remains, he doesn't appear to be as tired as he did just a short time ago. Nor does he seem as defeated. As she watches the two captains leave the room, she almost smiles, wondering if Niobe has had anything to do with that. 

She glances at Ghost and, though his expression doesn't show it, she can see the traces of worry in his eyes. It doesn't take much for her to deduce what it stems from. "Don't worry, Ghost," she says quietly. "It'll be fine."

"I know," he nods, even as his concern for her remains undiminished.

Stepping back over to Neo, Trinity takes his hand in hers one last time, feeling more focused than she has in hours. Gently squeezing his hand, she bends down to whisper in his ear. 

"I'm coming, Neo."

As she leaves him behind, she can feel it; embers of something she thought had all but died out with Neo's revelation and collapse are beginning to flare. She had seen small sparks of it flash in Morpheus' eyes just a few minutes ago, and, as cautious or as fragile at it is for both of them, she recognizes it for what it is.

**__**

Hope.


End file.
